Sexual Violence in Muay Thai: The Case of Chor. Thanaporn Gym

A case of child sexual abuse in a Samut Sakhon Muay Thai gym, and what it tells us about Muay Thai’s failure to prevent and address sexual violence, from the perspective of a survivor, former fighter and studying sports ethicist.

On February 28th, Thailand’s Amarin News reported that three 12-year-old girls had been sexually abused by their Muay Thai trainer, who was also the owner of their gym in Samut Sakhon.

The girls, who were fighters at the camp, reported that the perpetrator had raped them multiple times since last year, using a gun to threaten them, and telling them he’d shoot and kill them if they told anyone about the abuse. 

At the time, the name of the gym was withheld, referred to only as a ‘famous boxing camp’. However, a video report from PPTV revealed enough footage of the gym to identify it as Chor. Thanaporn. The owner and trainer, 54-year-old Chaichana Jaiklom (ชัยชนะ ใจกลม), was later named in ThaiRath reports as the perpetrator. Jaiklom was also reported to be a former volunteer police officer, and one of his Facebook profile pictures showed him in a police vest proudly holding a handgun. By the time his name had been made public in reports, his profile was deleted or deactivated. 

At the time of initial reports, he had yet to be apprehended by police and his whereabouts were unknown. A warrant was issued for his arrest after relatives of the victims filed a report at the Samut Sakhon Police Station, accompanied by Paweena Hongsakul, founder of the Paweena Foundation for Children and Women.

The survivors are referred to as Girl A, Girl B and Girl C in news reports. Girl A had been training at the gym for 5 years since age 7, paying 100 baht per day. Her grandmother, who has been raising her while her mother works to provide for the family, said she initially liked training there because she could practice self-defence. As she and her training partners became more skilled, the trainer took them to fight on various promotions. This way, they were no longer paying for training, and a fee would instead be deducted from their fight earnings, after which they would receive 400-500 baht each time. Girl A’s grandmother said that until recently, her granddaughter was diligent in her studies and training, but on January 28th, she was shocked to hear the young girl say that she “wanted to die and be reborn”. She later revealed that the trainer had raped her many times since September 2023, most recently in January 2024.

Girl A reportedly says that the abuse took place at the gym when no one else was around. Each time, he would leave his gun out for her to see, and afterwards, he threatened to shoot her if she told anyone. The girl kept quiet, in fear for her fighting career and safety if she spoke out. Eventually, she confided in her training partners, Girl B and Girl C, and learned that they had also been abused in the same way. Girl B had reportedly been raped 2-3 times a month since June 2023. It’s also reported that the perpetrator would physically abuse the girls by slapping and kicking them, and would carry and clean his gun in full view of the children as a form of intimidation. His violent nature, along with his respected status as a trainer, gym owner, and former volunteer for the police, made the girls terrified to speak out. They finally decided to tell their families on January 31st. At that time, Girl C had yet to come forward. She was finally able to tell her parents about the abuse she suffered after the family members of the first two survivors took action.

The grandmother of Girl A and mother of Girl B subsequently confronted the perpetrator, after which he fled from the scene in his car. His daughter, who is also a trainer and fighter at the gym, reportedly threatened the family members of the victims, telling them that if the children stopped coming to training or moved to another gym, they’d be sued for breach of contract. One of the survivors had been signed to a 10-year contract with the gym.

The family members stated that they’re aware of several other young girls who have been raped by the gym owner, but haven’t yet been able to come forward. They sought the help of Paweena Foundation for Children and Women to follow up on the case and make sure that he can no longer continue to abuse. They also stated that they feared for their families’ safety while he was still at large.

On March 1st, Khaosod news reported that Jaiklom had been apprehended by police after being found in hiding at his sister’s house in the Thawi Watthana district of Bangkok. He has confessed to all charges, listed as the rape of a child under the age of 13 who is under his care, with the use of threats or violent force. He was immediately taken into custody for legal proceedings. 

The Paweena Foundation for Children and Women has been assisting victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking since 1999, receiving 30-50 complaints per day. It is unknown how much time had passed between the filing of the initial police report and the foundation taking the case. However, it seems as though no meaningful action had been taken until Paweena pushed the case and held a press conference with reporters. Many Thai netizens noted this, commenting that it’s normal for cases to go unanswered by Thai police unless they go viral in the news

Muay Thai’s Failure to Prevent or Address Sexual Violence

It’s not just police who should have acted more quickly, but also Muay Thai authorities. It’s widely known that sexual harassment and abuse often go unchecked in our sport. This was noted by a number of comments on Thai news reports online.

Since coming forward with my own story of being sexually assaulted by a trainer in 2017, I’ve continued to receive reports from other women with similar experiences. Many have said they felt unable to speak out due to power dynamics, threats to their fighting careers, or a lack of safe reporting mechanisms. Others who have spoken out say they have received backlash from their gyms in the form of threats of defamation lawsuits. I recently made a presentation on this topic at the Play The Game conference in Norway, detailing the mechanisms and key cultural enablers that allow this to continue, and the lack of accountability from Muay Thai’s governing bodies.

What is Thailand’s Muay Thai doing to make sure that perpetrators like this one aren’t welcome in our sport? At the very least, what is being done to make sure they can’t become authority figures like gym owners and trainers? Nothing, it would seem.

5 Ways Muay Thai Gyms & Authorities Facilitate Abuse

Muay Thai gyms, associations and authorities leave athletes vulnerable to abuse, and this cannot continue. Here are 5 ways that the survivors were failed in this case, with advice for how these organisations can do better. 

1. Gyms Aren’t Safe Spaces

A family member of one of the survivors in this case told reporters that her granddaughter initially enjoyed training at the gym for self-defense. This is something that’s often recommended for women and girls, but as well as being ineffective in preventing sexual assault, this approach also fails to acknowledge the reality that these gyms are often sites of sexual violence themselves, as was the case here. This is because gyms don’t take the necessary measures to make sure their instructors are safe, qualified, and trained in safeguarding. And why would they, since they aren’t required to do so? Authorities don’t put any pressure on gyms to follow these basic safety requirements.

2. Insufficient Regulations and Safeguarding Measures

Muay Thai trainers in Thailand are seemingly unregulated, going through no background checks before they’re allowed to begin working in gyms. This is what enabled Fairtex and Marrok Gym to hire BJJ instructor De’Alonzio ‘DJ’ Jackson, who has previously faced charges for the sexual assault of a minor in the US.

While background checks are not a fail-safe measure (they wouldn’t have prevented the abuse in this case, and don’t provide a guarantee that an individual is safe), they should be a bare minimum requirement. The issue of safeguarding goes completely unanswered for, with no training for those who work in gyms, protective measures for athletes, or even punitive measures for abusers. In many cases, survivors face more consequences than their abusers. Many, like the young fighters in this case, are told they’ll be effectively blacklisted from the sport if they report. How is it possible that such blacklists can be held over the heads of vulnerable athletes, but not perpetrators?

International gyms and associations aren’t doing enough, either. While IFMA has a safeguarding policy and USA Muay Thai has a whistleblower’s box, these measures are insufficient (and according to anonymous reports I’ve received, ineffective). Sports organisations like these need to demonstrate that they see safeguarding as more than a performative checkbox exercise. It takes more than attending the occasional online webinar to be truly dedicated to protecting athletes and supporting survivors, and even when policies are in place, measures need to be taken to ensure that they’re truly fit for purpose. 

Many of Thailand’s Muay Thai gyms are small, family-run operations in rural areas, making them difficult to regulate. Thailand’s Muay Thai authorities need to consider this in their safeguarding approach, ensuring it is tailored to address the needs of these communities.

3. There is No Protection or Recourse Within the Sport

Cases of harassment or abuse in Muay Thai are only taken seriously when they become criminal cases, but there are many, many more which never make it that far. 

We rarely, if ever, see Muay Thai federations sanctioning trainers or fighters for sexual misconduct. In 2019, New Zealand Muay Thai trainer and owner of Lucky 9 gym was convicted of assaulting a woman who trained at his gym (his second assault charge), and subsequently resigned from his role as General Secretary of the New Zealand Muay Thai Federation. However, this is a standalone case, relating to physical violence. Of all of the survivors who have reached out to me, not a single one has described receiving adequate support from Muay Thai authorities, or seeing them take action against their perpetrator. These organisations need to be held accountable for providing recourse and protection within the sport itself. There needs to be safeguarding measures and investigative procedures, implemented in Thailand as well as internationally.

When it comes to action being taken by gyms in Thailand, there are just three publicly known examples. In 2015, a South African fighter (whom I am unable to name publicly due to legal threats), was removed from his gym after a survivor came forward with allegations of domestic violence. In 2022, Daraek Revolution Muay Thai was ousted from his gym after it emerged that he had been sexually harassing multiple women. The gym owner, Tim Fisher, issued a public statement urging promoters to no longer allow him to fight, and Daraek later announced his retirement from fighting in April 2023. In that same year, Wanchalong P.K Saenchai Gym and his management made a public apology after I publicised a video he’d posted to social media committing sexual assault, which subsequently went viral and was covered by Thai news outlets, creating pressure for action to be taken. In each of these cases, the response was driven by individual initiative rather than institutional protection. At present, there is no formal procedure for gyms and associations to follow in such cases.

While many gyms and federations may not know where to start with safeguarding, is it part of their duty of care to their athletes. Several international organisations led by safeguarding experts can provide all the necessary resources and support:

• In Belgium, the Centre for Ethics in Sport provides support in drawing up policies, training, and advice on handling cases.
• In the US similar services are provided by The US Center for Safe Sport.
• Singapore’s Safe Sport Commission provides training and workshops on safeguarding issues, as well as safeguarding policy templates.
• GuardSport, also based in Singapore, offers bespoke and sport-specific safeguarding training. 
• Sport England has a safeguarding code for martial arts, which is provided to gyms after working through learning materials and demonstrating good safeguarding practices.
• Safe Sport International (UK-based but working globally) provides consultancy services from some of the world’s leading safeguarding experts. They also have a selection of free courses and resources. Their website also features a list of country-specific services that can be drawn on for support.
• In Quebec, Sport’Aide provides ways for athletes, parents, instructors and other stakeholders seeking assistance in reporting violence in sports. They collaborate with sports organisations to implement initiatives to promote healthy and safe sports environments.

Sports governing bodies should be actively seeking out partnerships with organisations like these to make sure they’re meeting international standards for athlete protection and support.

4. There are No Suitable Reporting Mechanisms

The Chor. Thanaporn case didn’t move forward until family members contacted the Paweena Foundation for Children and Women for help, even after being reported to police. Who could these survivors or their families have turned to within the sport before it reached this point? No one. 

Muay Thai Federations, both local and international, need to have safe reporting mechanisms that athletes can use to report anonymously. I provided advice to gyms and sports organisations on this in How to Be an Ally to Women in Muay Thai.

“In order to be ethical, reports should be handled by a qualified third party. Partner with counsellors, therapists, social workers or non-profits in your local area to set up a pathway for reporting. As well as being unbiased, these professionals are equipped with the tools and knowledge to provide safe and effective support. They can also guide people through the processes of contacting law enforcement, seeking medical assistance, or accessing any other resources they may need.

A reporting system is useless if members don’t feel safe to use it. That’s why it should be outsourced to trained professionals, rather than dealt with in-house by gym management alone. It also has to be 100% confidential.

After receiving reports, take visible action. It’s important for gym members to see that the process works, and isn’t just performative. Otherwise, it will quickly lose all meaning and function”.

I also described how to respond after receiving reports.

“If you receive a report of sexual assault or abuse, do not attempt to resolve it by mediating between the two parties. This can be harmful for the victim, giving the abuser a chance to manipulate the narrative and revictimize them. Instead, you should make sure they never have to face the abuser again.

Don’t brush it off as a personal or private issue. Listen to the victim, and let them know that you believe them, and that they’re safe with you.

Offer support if they choose to make a police report, but never force the issue. Making a formal report is a traumatizing process which often results in more consequences for the abused than the abuser, and no one should be forced into that process. It’s not the victim’s responsibility to stop the abuser by making a report. It’s your responsibility as a gym owner to make sure that abusers are not welcome or tolerated at your gym.”

As a survivor and advocate, I provide resources and advice for others with the same experiences and concerns. While I’m happy to do so, this need is another symptom of the lack of accountability from sports organisations. The responsibility to tackle this issue should not lie with survivors, but with those in power. This is something I noted in my presentation at the Play the Game conference, and a sentiment that was expressed by several other speakers working in other sports. Time and time again, survivors have had to provide the protection and guidance that sports authorities fail to acknowledge the need for. 

5. Contracts can be Used to Intimidate and Exploit Vulnerable Fighters

In this case, the contracts the fighters had with the gym were used in an attempt to silence and control them. They were unable to escape their abuser by not coming to the gym or finding another place to train, having been told that they’d be sued for breach of contract if they’d done so. They’d also expressed concerns that speaking out against their abuser would jeopardise their future in Muay Thai, as they had been warned that they would no longer be able to get fights anywhere if they told anyone what was happening to them. 

One survivor was reported to be bound by a ten-year contract with the gym. But can a minor or their family give informed consent to enter into this kind of contract? While Thai police clarified in news reports that the contract could not be weaponised against them in this case, this information came too late. Had this power dynamic not been in place, the fighters might have been able to speak out sooner. 

These contracts were explicitly used to allow the abuse to continue, and stop the survivors from seeking help. This case raises questions about the ethics of such contracts, particularly with young fighters.

How to Get Help

While Muay Thai organisations can’t currently be relied upon to adequately address reports of sexual harassment or abuse, there are organisations in Thailand that can. For more information about how to seek support in cases of sexual or domestic violence and what help is available, see my in-depth guide for survivors in Thailand. 

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